Bus crash causes significant damage

The students who escaped serious injury Tuesday when their bus was hit by a box truck felt the impact, although that’s often not the case, school officials said.

Katie UrbaszewskiStaff Writer

The students who escaped serious injury Tuesday when their bus was hit by a box truck felt the impact, although that’s often not the case, school officials said.The driver of a Charger Electric truck is accused of rear-ending the bus, crashing through the vehicle’s back window. The accident pinned the truck driver, Kenneth Hirtle, 47, of Schriever, inside his truck, State Police and Lafourche school officials said.Hirtle had to be cut out of the vehicle, but he refused an ambulance trip to the hospital, said Floyd Benoit, transportation manager for Lafourche Parish schools.The bus was on its way to Bayou Blue Middle School when the crash happened about 6:50 a.m. at Bayou Blue Road and Banks Boulevard, Benoit said.All 34 children, plus the bus driver, were listed on the State Police report as having minor injuries, although Benoit said only a “handful” of students reported minor injuries, such as lower back pain. No one was taken to the hospital.Parents have been called and instructed to have their children examined by a doctor, Benoit said. They may get a call from Hirtle’s insurance company about any injuries.Glass from the back window of the bus shattered, but no children were cut, Benoit said. Another bus picked up the kids and took them to Bayou Blue Middle.It’s not uncommon for vehicles to hit stopped school buses, Benoit said. “We get rear-ended plenty,” Benoit said. “I don’t know how people can miss a big yellow bus. The minute they see a big yellow bus, that should be a sign to slow down. Especially in Bayou Blue. It’s a two-lane street that takes care of many subdivisions.”Tuesday’s crash was “a little more impact than normal,” Benoit said.“We have cars that will hit us without applying the brakes, and kids and the bus driver don’t even feel the impact,” he said.Oftentimes, vehicles go under the bus, but the box truck was elevated enough to shatter the back window, he said.Hirtle was charged with careless operation, so the school’s insurance will not have to pay for any damage, Benoit said. The truck had to be towed, but the bus did not have to be, State Police said.

Staff Writer katie Urbaszewski can be reached at 448-7617 or katie.urbaszewski@dailycomet.com.